Erin Hunter - The First Battle

Clear Sky ducked, rolling sideways, but Gray Wing was ready, as though it was a move he knew well. He turned as he landed and slashed at his brother’s cheek. Clear Sky hissed, taking the blow without flinching. The fur on his spine spiked into a ridge. Tail lashing, ears flat, he lunged forward.

Gray Wing tried to leap clear of the attack, but Clear Sky grabbed his hind paw as he skidded beneath his belly.

Thunder felt like he was watching a fight rehearsed for moons. They play fought as kits. He narrowed his eyes. They knew each other’s moves better than any cat. But now they weren’t playing. Now they were out for blood.

Clear Sky flicked Gray Wing’s hind paws from beneath him. Gray Wing landed on his flank with a grunt.

Clear Sky was on him in a moment, pressing his cheek to the ground with a wide-stretched paw. “Why do you always have to challenge me?” he demanded. “You should have just let me make my boundaries as I wanted! Instead, you bring me war.” He pressed harder, drool hanging from his lips.

“You’ve betrayed the cats who were once your kin,” Gray Wing grunted, his mew muffled. He spat earth from his mouth. “The cats who traveled here with you from the mountains. Is that what you wanted?” His words turned into a groan as Clear Sky pressed harder, but Gray Wing went on. “Is this why we left the mountains? To kill each other?” Gasping with effort, he pushed his shoulders up. Clear Sky stumbled, unbalanced, and Gray Wing scrambled to his paws.

“I’m glad Storm is dead,” Gray Wing hissed. “She would never have wanted to see this!”

Clear Sky’s gaze darkened. “Don’t mention her name!” He hurled himself, hissing, at Gray Wing.

Thunder rushed forward, but claws grasped his tail. He spun around. Falling Feather was staring at him, her eyes gleaming with malice. “We’ve not finished,” she snarled, hurling herself at him.

Thunder staggered back, shocked by the force of her attack. His mind was whirling as he fell. “But Gray Wing!” He landed with a thump on his back and felt claws curling into his chest. “You traveled from the mountains with him—you can’t let him be killed by Clear Sky!”

Falling Feather’s muzzle was a whisker from his. He saw her eyes narrow and felt her hot breath as claws raked deep across his belly.

Pain spiraled into panic as he felt blood well where she’d struck. She’s ripped out my belly! As terror rose in his throat, green eyes glinted beside him. Black fur brushed across his face. The strong scent of Jackdaw’s Cry filled his nose.

Falling Feather yowled as the black tom knocked her sprawling onto the ground.

Gasping, Thunder scrambled to his paws and found himself facing Leaf.

The rogue growled at him as Jackdaw’s Cry and Falling Feather rolled away, snarling. “I’ll finish you,” he hissed.

Fury roared louder in Thunder’s ears. Falling Feather and Jackdaw’s Cry were littermates, just like Gray Wing and Clear Sky! This had to stop. He lashed out at Leaf. “Get out of my way!”

Leaf blocked him, slamming his paws down onto Thunder’s shoulders. Growling, Thunder shrugged off Leaf and headed toward Gray Wing.

Claws dug into his flanks.

“Get off, Leaf,” he snarled as the tom attacked again.

“Never!”

Thunder turned and lashed out. Leaf gasped as claws raked his throat, his fur and flesh ripping, blood spurting from the wound like water, turning to a glistening pool on the ground.

Leaf stared at him, eyes glazing with shock, then dropped to his belly.

Thunder froze. What have I done? He was trying to stop the killing. “Dappled Pelt! Help him!” he cried desperately to his camp mate. She knew how to heal.

The tortoiseshell looked up. Blood stained her muzzle. At her paws, a panting rogue clawed weakly at her. She struggled free and raced around the battling cats. Crouching beside Leaf, she sniffed his wound. “It’s okay. This is bleeding that will stop.” She pushed Leaf onto his side and pressed her paws against his neck.

Shaking with relief, Thunder started to turn back to Gray Wing.

“No!” Falling Feather’s horrified yowl caught his ear. He glanced sideways to see Jackdaw’s Cry bite hard into his sister’s spine. She jerked, flinging out her paws, then slumped onto her belly. Thunder recognized the prey-look of death. He stared at Jackdaw’s Cry. The tom’s black pelt was slick with blood. He staggered, eyes glazing, then collapsed lifeless onto his sister’s body.

Thunder staggered as grief sliced though him. They killed each other!

“Clear Sky! Don’t!” Acorn Fur’s panicked yowl jerked him back from despair.

Clear Sky stood over Gray Wing. “Just give in!”

Gray Wing lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His flanks heaved desperately as he stared up at his littermate. “Never.” He aimed a weak blow at his brother’s muzzle, but it missed clumsily.

“ Give in! ” Clear Sky growled threateningly. He lifted a paw.

Thunder froze.

Gray Wing pushed himself onto his paws, his legs trembling. “Kill me,” he rasped at Clear Sky. “Kill me and live with the memory. Then tell the stars that you won .”

Clear Sky held his gaze. “Don’t make me do this, brother.” His mew quivered. “All I want is for every cat to be safe. To have borders to protect us and make sure we have prey.”

Gray Wing staggered closer. “You want to tell every cat what to do,” he wheezed. “You always have and you always will. You’re so greedy for power, you’ll kill your own littermate to get it.”

Clear Sky let his paw drop and turned away. “I can’t…” His gaze flitted over the bodies littering the clearing. Cats fought on weakly, staggering more unsteadily with every blow.

“Stop!” Clear Sky yowled. “This battle is over.”

A voice buzzed in Clear Sky’s mind, blocking everything else out. You’re weak. You don’t deserve to lead other cats. You can’t even kill.

“Clear Sky?” Petal was staring at him.

Clear Sky returned her gaze numbly. “Just go,” he growled.

Snake cocked his head, eyes clouding with confusion. “It’s over ?”

“Who won?” Nettle padded toward his leader.

Clear Sky hissed at him. “ No cat won! ”

Nettle glanced at Petal uncertainly. “Now what?”

She shrugged. “I guess we go back to camp.” She turned and headed for the slope.

Clear Sky hardly heard her. He was watching Thunder pick his way between the bodies.

“What would Stoneteller say?” The young tom stared hollow-eyed at the fallen cats, stiffening as his gaze fell on an orange pelt, sticky with blood. “Hawk Swoop?” He stopped, nudging her with his muzzle. “You can’t be dead… How can you be dead?”

Lightning Tail raced to Thunder’s side, while Acorn Fur hung back, her eyes brimming with grief.

“Hawk Swoop?” Lightning Tail crouched beside his mother, his flanks trembling.

Clear Sky looked away. “They’re acting like kits,” he muttered.

“They are kits.” Gray Wing’s mew sounded beside him. His brother had staggered to his side and was staring at Thunder and Lightning Tail. “They’re her kits.”

“Thunder is Storm’s kit,” Clear Sky snapped.

“But Hawk Swoop was the cat who raised him,” Gray Wing murmured.

Clear Sky’s heart twisted. I did this to my son. He pushed the thought away and glared at Snake. The rogue was lingering beside Fircone’s body. “Why are you still standing there? I said leave ,” he growled sharply. “All of you—get back to camp!”